The Rock'n'Roll Romance Box Set (Pam Howes Rock'n'Roll Romance Series) (24 page)

‘I want you to have a look at the
contents of this envelope, Mark. You see, I’ve known of your existence for a
number of years, since just before Dad’s death. What I didn’t know was if
you
knew anything about
us.
I put Charles and Pen in the picture
before you arrived.’

Mark tipped out the letters and
photographs from the envelope. There were several of Jack, Amelia and he, and
more with just he and Amelia. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he read
his father’s death-bed confession. How he’d loved Amelia, but to avoid scandal
had stayed with his wife and family. He’d never forgotten Mark and hoped that
should he ever contact his brothers and sisters in the future, they’d welcome
him into the family. He also asked for forgiveness as he’d tried to do his best
in protecting and providing for all his children.

Mark folded the letter and put it
away with the photos. He held the envelope out to Dorothy, but she shook her
head. ‘Keep it, Mark. I don’t expect you have many photos of your mum.’

‘Just one or two that were in the
letters she sent to Maude. Those that Charles has on his knee. Feel free to
read the letters,’ he said to Dorothy. ‘Take them home with you and I’ll
collect them before I leave the island.’

‘It must have been quite shocking
to discover the truth after believing Maude to be your mother,’ Penny said,
pouring coffee.

‘It was. My wife, Jane was very
supportive though. She helped me get through it.’

‘You’re married?’ Dorothy
exclaimed. ‘How lovely, you should have brought Jane with you.’

‘How long have you been married?’
Charles took a swig of wine and smiled.

‘Since last September. Our first
baby’s due in June. We’re thrilled about it and now that I’ve found my family,
well, you’re the icing on the cake.’

‘So, I’m to be an aunty?’ Dorothy
exclaimed with delight. ‘How wonderful. I thought it would never happen. You’re
the only Mainwaring offspring to breed. Well done, Mark.’

‘It would have been nice for Jane
to meet you all. But she’s not been too well and she’s been told to rest. The
journey would have been too much for her. Next time I visit, after the baby’s
born, we’ll all come together.’

‘Oh you must,’ Penny said. ‘That
would be lovely, Mark.’

‘Right!’ Dorothy downed the last
of her wine and rose to her feet. ‘I’m off. I’ll have a read through your
letters tomorrow, Mark. They may throw a bit of light on how very difficult it
must have been for all concerned. Come and visit me before you go home and pick
them up. Get the directions off Charles. It’s very straightforward. You can’t possibly
get lost on this island. If you end up in the harbour, you know you’ve gone too
far!’

Mark and Charles saw Dorothy to
the door.

‘It’s really lovely to suddenly
be an expectant aunty. I’ll have to get out my knitting needles,’ she said.

‘You’ll be in your element,’
Charles teased.

‘I tell you what, Mark come and
live here,’ Dorothy said. ‘We’ll get to enjoy our nephew or niece growing up.’

‘Mark’s got a home, friends and
roots in Pickford,’ Charles said as Mark smiled. ‘Why on earth would he want to
move here?’

‘Because we’re his only family.’

‘True. But Jane’s probably got
family in Pickford. Anyway, we’ll see. We don’t want to frighten you off, Mark
by being over possessive as soon as you meet us.’

Mark grinned and waved as Dorothy
got in her car and pulled off the drive.

Back indoors Charles poured more
wine and topped Mark’s up. They downed that and then Charles opened the brandy.

‘Would you two alcoholics mind if
I go up to bed?’ Penny said, yawning loudly.

‘Not at all,’ Mark said. ‘I’d
better be hitting the road, I promised to call Jane before eleven and it’s not
far off that now.’ He stood up, swaying slightly. His head felt fuzzy again and
his eyes were misty. He just needed to lie down.

‘Ring her from here,’ Charles
said.

‘Oh no, it’s okay. I’d rather
call her in private.’

‘So you can whisper sweet
nothings?’ Penny teased,

‘Something like that,’ he
replied. ‘Besides, the fresh air will sober me up a bit so I don’t slur my
words. Jane doesn’t like me drinking too much.’

‘Come and visit us again tomorrow.’
Charles stood up to shake Mark’s hand. Penny reached up and planted a kiss on
his cheek.

‘Thank you, I will. And thanks
very much for your hospitality,’ he said as he left.

Mark reflected on the success of
the evening as he strolled back to the hotel. His family was extremely nice and
had totally accepted him. Jane would love them, of that he was certain.

***

Back in his room Mark swallowed
more pills with a slug of whisky and dialled a number. Vicky answered after a
couple of rings and he told her of his visit to his brother’s home. He felt
excited, rambling on, not letting her get a word in. He ended the call by
slurring, ‘I love you, Jane. Take care of that baby ’til I get home!’ He fell
back on the bed in a drunken stupor.

***

Jane rolled over as the bedroom
door opened and Eddie came in. ‘Hi, I wasn’t expecting you ‘til tomorrow,’ she
said, sitting up.

‘We decided to come back tonight
instead of another night in a hotel,’ he whispered.

‘It’s okay. Jonny’s at your mum’s
to give me a break.’

‘Oh, great!’ He threw off his
clothes and climbed in beside her.

‘How did it go?’ she asked,
snuggling up to him.
The Raiders
had
been recording their first lot of songs at

‘It was brilliant. We’ve enough
in the can now for three singles and an LP.
My
Special
Girl
will be released as
the first single in a couple of weeks. We’re on Scene at
Six Thirty
beginning of next month and Top of the Pops the
following week.’

‘Wow!’ Jane stared at him open
mouthed. ‘Oh my God, my famous husband!’

He laughed and hugged her.
‘Anything exciting happen while I’ve been away?’

‘Not compared to
your
news. Tina’s dumped Carl. She’s
dating Sean now, and Sammy’s got a new design job.’

‘Great news, not for Carl of
course, but Sean and Tina are well suited. That’s brilliant for Sammy. Roy
will be chuffed to bits for her. Right, now that’s all out of the way, let’s
get down to business while Jonny’s not around. I’ve really missed you, woman!’

***

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

MARCH 1965

‘There it is!’ Eddie pointed to
the imposing, modern building that housed the Granada Studios. ‘Turn right
here.’

Roy
turned into

‘Who are you?’ asked the
peak-capped attendant.

‘
The Raiders
, mate,’ Roy
said.

The man ran his finger down the
list then raised the barrier. ‘Studio two loading bay, straight ahead,’ he
said.

‘Thanks,’ Eddie called. ‘Bloody
hell, I can’t believe this is happening.’ He jumped out of the van, leaping
around on the pavement. ‘We’re gonna be on the telly,’ he called to a passing
woman who smiled at him as he waved his arms in the air.

Laughing at Eddie’s excitement, Roy,
Tim and Phil clambered out.

The loading bay doors were open
and Roy popped his head inside. A
long-haired man in jeans and an open-necked shirt hurried forward.

‘You
The Raiders
?’ he asked, scanning the clipboard he was carrying.

‘We are,’ Roy
replied.

‘One minute while I grab a
trolley. I’m Jim, by the way, your production assistant.’ He vanished for a
couple of seconds then reappeared pushing a trolley. ‘Load your gear onto this
and follow me.’

***

Roy and Eddie manoeuvred the
loaded trolley into the building, followed by Tim and Phil, carrying their
guitars and bags containing
The Raiders
stage outfits. Phil winked at two dark-haired girls who giggled at each other.

‘Okay for later,’ he mouthed. The
elder of the pair shook her head, stuck her hand in the air, and waggled her
ring finger. The other girl nodded, waving her ring-less hand at him. Phil
stuck up a thumb. ‘That’s me sorted!'

‘Christ, Jackson,
I don’t know how you do it.’ Eddie laughed. ‘Everywhere we go, you manage to
line one up.’

‘It’s my charm and sincerity they
go for,’ Phil smirked.

Eddie’s face lit up as they
walked down a long, well-lit corridor and passed a man in police uniform.
‘Bloody Hell,’ he muttered to Roy.
‘That was Fancy Smith!’

‘Brian Blessed,’ the production
assistant corrected and burst out laughing as the actor turned and smiled then
carried on his way. ‘We’re filming Z Cars today, so you’ll probably bump into
more of the cast.’

Eddie glanced into open doorways,
spotting props and scenery. ‘This is brilliant,’ he said. ‘There’s stuff lying
around in those rooms that I recognise from programmes
we watch.’

Jim stopped outside a door
bearing the sign STUDIO TWO. ‘This is where we’ll be recording your spot and
the interview with Bill Grundy,’ he said. ‘Set up, do sound checks, then we’ll
take it from there.’

Eddie unloaded his drums and
chatted to Jim while he put the kit together. Roy
was busy tuning his guitar and Tim replaced a string on his bass.

‘Where’s Phil sloped off to?’ Roy
looked around. ‘We’re ready.’

‘Gone for a pee,’ Eddie said and
twirled his sticks in the air. ‘He’ll probably be chatting up that bird. I’ll
go hurry him up.’

He made his way to reception and
spotted Phil leaning against the wall talking to the girl. ‘Jackson,
get your arse into gear,’ he called. ‘We’re waiting to do a sound check.’

Phil turned and waved. ‘On my
way. See you later, babe,’ he said to the blushing girl who gave him a
simpering smile.

‘Bit of all right, her.’ Eddie
nodded as he and Phil walked back to Studio Two.

‘Tell me about it. She’s a Raiders
fan
and
she’s got her own flat in
town. I’m staying there tonight.’

Eddie rolled his eyes and grinned
as they took up their positions.

‘Ready when you are, Jim,’ Roy
said after a quick run through of
Sweet
Little Sixteen.

Jim made his way to a glass booth
beside the mixing desk. He put on headphones and nodded to the band. Eddie
counted to four and Roy began to
sing
My Special Girl
.

Jim’s face broke into a wide
smile as the song came to a melodious end. He stuck up both thumbs. ‘The
sound’s spot on, lads,’ he said, strolling out of the booth. ‘Bloody good song,
too, should do well after tonight.’

‘Thanks, mate.’ Eddie put down
his sticks and Roy, Tim and Phil placed their guitars on stands. ‘So, what
happens now?’ Eddie asked.

‘Make your way to wardrobe and
the girls will sort out your makeup and give your suits a quick press.’

‘Makeup?’ Eddie looked at Roy.

‘Just a touch to get rid of the
shine on your faces,’ Jim said, laughing. ‘Don’t worry, you won’t look like
tarts! When you come back, lighting will run through the set up with you, make
sure you look okay on camera. We’ll record the session, check through it and
then it’ll be ready to air tonight. Bill Grundy will have a chat with you when
he arrives and we’ll record the interview, too.’

‘Great!’ Eddie said. ‘Anywhere we
can grab a sandwich?’

‘The girls on reception will
point you in the direction of hospitality. I’ll see you later.’

***

‘Everybody got enough to eat?’
Jane asked, flopping down besides Sammy on the sofa. The Westlow flat was
crowded as everyone waited in anticipation to see
The Raiders
TV debut.

‘It’s like a Flanagan and Grey’s
staff outing in here,’ John Grey said. Alongside the girls and Jonny, his
employees were sprawled on the sofas and floor, tucking into plates of
sandwiches and sausage rolls. Stuart arrived with bottles of cider and wine and
a party atmosphere developed.

Jonny was mesmerised
at seeing Eddie on TV. ‘There’s Daddy!’ he exclaimed, pointing a chubby finger
at the screen and making them all laugh. He clapped his hands and cheered when
the song came to an end.

‘That was great,’ Sammy said.

‘Superb,’ John added, ‘but then,
I wouldn’t have expected anything less.’

The phone rang and Sammy dashed
to answer it. ‘It’s Ed’s mum, Jane. She’s all weepy. Come and talk to her.’

‘
I can’t believe it,
’ Lillian said. ‘
My lad’s on the telly. I’m a very proud mum, Jane. Will you tell him
that when he gets home? I’ve never told him I’m proud of him.’

‘I will,’ Jane said. ‘It'll mean
the world to him. I’ll get him to call you as soon as he can.’

Eddie eventually rang. ‘
Did you see us?
’

‘Of course we did,’ Jane said.
‘Thought you’d be back by now, seeing as it was a recording. Hurry up, and
bring some more booze. We’ve a party going on here and we’re almost dry.’

‘
Will do. Be with you in the hour.’

***

Mark sat transfixed, eyes glued
to the screen, watching Mellor banging his fucking drums and warbling as though
he hadn’t a care in the world. Bastard!

Beside him, Tony pointed his
glass at the screen. ‘Smashing song. They wrote it themselves.’

Vicky, leaning against Mark’s
legs on the floor, inclined her head and smiled.

‘It’s so romantic. Rosa
told me Roy and Eddie wrote it for
Sammy and Jane…’ She fell silent as Tony shot her a warning glance.

‘Erm,’ you okay, Mark,’ she
asked, hesitantly.

Glassy eyed, he stood up, took
the heavy ashtray from Tony’s side and hurled it at the television. Vicky
screamed as the screen exploded and sparks flew everywhere. Tony jumped to his
feet – but Mark was off, grabbing his car keys and slamming the door behind
him. They heard the Sprite’s engine scream into life and the tyres squeal.

***

Tony ran across the room and
yanked the plug from the socket. ‘For fuck’s sake!’ He turned to Vicky in
bewilderment. ‘What the hell was that all about?’

‘Jane, of course,’ she said,
blinking back tears. ‘I told you he’s getting worse. He’ll end up killing
himself, driving like that.’

‘He won’t go back to the doctor,’
Tony said. ‘He’s due a check-up and needs another sick note. He’ll lose his job
if he doesn’t send one in soon.’

‘Well if
you
can’t make
him go, nobody else can,’ she said. ‘This is the last straw for me. In bed last
night he called me Jane, again.’

‘I’m sorry, love,’ Tony said,
running his hands through his hair. ‘I don’t even know where to go and look for
him. This is getting too much for us to cope with. We need professional help.’

‘Yes, we do,’ she agreed. ‘And
tomorrow I’m going to do something about getting it. I think I know where he’ll
have gone. He’ll be parked at the back of the shops in Westlow where Jane and
Eddie live.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘An educated guess. Where else
would he go?’

‘The Isle of Wight?’

‘That needs planning. This is
spur of the moment.’

‘Well, it’s a long shot, but I suppose
it’s worth a try. Give it an hour; see if he comes
back first.’

They sat in silence as the
minutes ticked by, and then jumping up Tony grabbed his keys. ‘Let’s go!’ He
drove at speed to Westlow and turned towards the shopping precinct.

‘There he is.’ Vicky pointed to
the very back of the car park.

‘You’ve got good eyesight,’ Tony
said, squinting at the dark shape of a low-slung vehicle.

‘I caught the glow of a
cigarette. Let’s try and talk to him.’

They made their way to the car
and Mark looked out of the open window as they approached.

He glared at them. ‘What the fuck
do you want?’ he slurred. ‘Where’s Jane?’

‘She’s not here,’ Vicky said. ‘We
should go back to the house; she might be home by now. Come on, we’ll go in
Tony’s car and collect yours tomorrow.’

Tony stared at her as she helped
a bewildered Mark from the Sprite, shoved him into the passenger seat of Tony’s
car and slammed the door. ‘Why did you tell him Jane might be home?’

‘If you can’t beat ’em, join
’em!’ she said. ‘Let’s get back and call the doctor. He needs sectioning for
his own safety. What if he does something really bad to Eddie or Jane?’

‘Why would he? He’s just
confused. He’s not going in a fucking nut-house, Vicky.’

‘I’m not arguing with you,’ she
said. ‘You said we need professional help. Well that’s what we’re gonna get.’

***

Following
T
he Raiders
television appearance,
My Special Girl
hit the singles chart and shot to
number three. The Roy Orbison tour began and the girls saw the group perform in
Manchester. Sitting in the front
circle at the ABC theatre, Jane was overwhelmed as the screaming audience
demanded MORE.

‘How on earth can these girls
hear anything,’ she shouted at Sammy and Pat who were whistling through their
fingers and stamping their feet.

‘Don’t know,’ Sammy shouted back.
‘Brilliant though, isn’t it?
And
we
get to meet Roy Orbison after the show.’

In the hospitality room the
excited girls were introduced to the tall, dark haired Texan.

‘Would you mind if we have a
photograph with you?’ Jane asked.

‘Go right ahead,’ he drawled.

‘Ed!’ She shouted across the room
to where he was chatting to members of the press. ‘Bring the camera over.’

The girls grouped together, Jane
and Pat either side of Sammy, Roy Orbison standing behind; his big hands
resting on Sammy’s shoulders.

Jane could feel her own hands
shaking with excitement as Eddie snapped away.

‘Thank you so much,’ she said.

Roy Orbison smiled shyly. ‘One
for your family album,’ he said. He signed their programmes
before being whisked away by his manager.

‘Wow!’ Sammy exclaimed. ‘Can you
believe that? Roy Orbison had
his
hands
on
my
shoulders. Oh, my God!’

Jane and Pat laughed as Frank James
strolled towards them.

‘Word in your shell-like, Jane,’
he said, taking her to one side. ‘Don’t get upset, love, but we’ve told the
press the lads are all single. Better for the groups’ image if the fans think
they’re available, you see.’

‘Okay,’ she nodded. ‘As long as
Eddie
doesn’t forget he’s married. How do I explain this away if we’re
seen out together?’ She pointed to her bump.

‘No problem,’ he said. ‘We’ll say
you’re his married sister.’

***

‘Sorry, Jane,’ Eddie said, after
taking a call from a local paper who wanted to interview and photograph
The Raiders
. ‘I know I promised to take
you and Jonny shopping later, but it looks like we’ll be out for most of the
afternoon. I’ll be home tonight and we’ve got the morning together. Let’s go
for a walk with Jonny, do something normal for a change.’

Frank’s secretary rang at
lunchtime. The boys were needed first thing the following day for a promotional
photo shoot. Jane shook her head; it seemed everyone wanted a bit of her
husband’s precious time.

‘I’ll just have to get used to
it,’ she said as he kissed her.

‘I promise we’ll go dancing at
the club tonight with Roy and Sammy. Or waddling as in your case!’ he teased.
‘Get Sean and Tina to baby sit, will you?’

***

Jane smiled as Vincento pounced
on her and Eddie as they entered The Roulette Club.

‘Blimey, Vinnie! You pleased to
see us, or something?’ she said, as he grabbed her and kissed both cheeks.

‘I’m always pleased to see you,
Jane,’ Vinnie said. ‘I need to ask Ed something, so I’ll get you both a drink
on the house while you find a seat. Cider?’

‘Pint of draught for me and half
for Jane. Thanks, Vinnie.’ Eddie led the way to a table at the back of the
room.

Vinnie carried a tray of drinks
across and plonked himself down. ‘Right, cheers to you both, and the new
bambino, when it arrives.’ He took a slug of cider and wiped his mouth with the
back of his hand.

‘Thanks, Vin.’ Eddie looked at
him. ‘So, what’s on your mind?’

‘We get bombarded with questions
about the group,’ Vinnie began. ‘I reckon you need a fan club. Me and Rosa,
well we think we could run a club here for you from Dad’s office.’